The present invention relates to a heat-melt transfer recording medium capable of producing print images having excellent smear resistance, abrasion resistance and alcohol resistance.
Heretofore, heat-melt transfer recording media have been widely used in a variety of printing apparatuses. However, in the case of heat-melt transfer recording media for bar code printing, label printing and rough paper printing wherein the main object of printing is paper having a poor surface smoothness, among the above-mentioned heat-melt transfer recording media, the problem that print images are insufficent in durability properties such as smear resistance (resistance to receptor-staining) and abrasion resistance is encountered.
For instance, a printed matter obtained by using such conventional recording medium for bar code printing does not necessarily satisfy the essential requirements for bar code printing that even though the image surface is rubbed a little, the image is not damaged and the white ground portions of the receptor paper are not stained, and the image can be accurately read by means of a bar code reader, and that when stains on the printed matter are wiped off with alcohol, the ink is not dissolved into the alcohol. When a printed matter obtained by using these conventional recording media is passed through a facsimile machine, the print image is rubbed with a sliding member provided inside the machine, so that the print image, in some cases, is peeled partially or scratches occur in the print image. In the case of a printed matter obtained by printing on a rough paper having a Bekk smoothness of about 20 seconds, the print image, in some cases, becomes unclear merely by rubbing the surface of the printed matter with the finger, etc.
Various attempts were made to improve the durability of print image. However, in the case of a method wherein the colored ink layer is enriched with a resin, the durability-improving effect is not sufficient and the transferability becomes poor. In the case of a method wherein a release layer mainly composed of a wax is interposed between the foundation and the colored ink layer to improve the transferability of the ink layer and to exhibit a function of protecting the obtained print image after printing, the protective effect is small because the resulting wax layer on the surface of the print image has a small strength.
Thus, there has not been obtained any heat-melt transfer recording medium satisfying both the durability and the quality of print image.
An object of the present invention is to provide a heat-melt transfer recording medium which has excellent transfer sensitivity and can give print images having excellent durability properties without any deterioration in the quality of the print images.
This and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter.